Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help support female victims within the courts system.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with victims waiting years for justice. On 25 February 2026, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the Courts and Tribunals Bill, aiming to deliver faster, fairer justice for victims. These reforms are designed to progress cases more quickly through the criminal courts, reduce uncertainty, and increase transparency for victims and witnesses by ensuring more effective triage across the system. We will also implement crucial reforms, recommended by the Law Commission, to ensure that victims are no longer unfairly undermined by evidence in the court room.
This Government is committed to ensuring female victims have the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. We have recently launched a consultation on a new Victims’ Code to ensure we get the foundations for victims right. The Victims and Courts Bill will additionally provide a new route for victims to request information via a dedicated helpline, which will give victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release.
We have made the largest ever investment of £550 million in victim support services over the next three years. The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice’s victim and witness budget to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types. This includes ‘core’ funding, which is for PCCs to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need as well as funding that is ring-fenced for sexual violence and domestic abuse services. Local assessments will incorporate considerations of the volume and needs of female victims of crime.
In addition, we continue to fund the long-standing Witness Service. This provides on-the-day emotional and practical support to witnesses (including those who are victims) to help them give their best evidence. This may include providing information about the court and its processes, facilitating explanations around any delays and accompanying the witness (if allowed by the court) into the court room when they give evidence.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce violence against women and girls on public transport.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My Department wants everyone to feel and be safe when travelling, therefore, we have an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work and are working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities to help tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) on transport.
My Department has also been closely involved in the development of the Government’s VAWG (Freedom from Violence and Abuse) Strategy, which includes nine commitments to help improve safety for women and girls on the transport network.
The commitments which form part of DfT’s contribution to the Safer Streets Mission are:
In addition, on the rail network, the British Transport Police work with their partners to raise awareness of VAWG, encourage reporting and receive feedback to improve our response.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients who require rehabilitative physiotherapy have access to NHS services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards across England are responsible for managing the National Health Service budget and arranging the majority of NHS healthcare services to meet the healthcare needs of their respective populations. This includes the provision of some physiotherapy services.
We know people are waiting too long for community health services. The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets a clear target for systems to work to reduce long waits. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services more into line with targets for elective care.
To support the shift to neighbourhood health, NHS England’s ‘Standardising community health services’ guidance asks systems to increase the capacity in community health services and work to standardise core community health services provision. The recently published 'Standardising community health services - core component descriptions’ guidance clearly defines the core component of community services to help reduce variation and support consistent commissioning, including for physiotherapy.
This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts to ensure the movement of more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure humanitarian relief is provided to support the mental health of children and young people in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) help improve safety in Heywood and Middleton North constituency and (b) reduce crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Anti-Social Behaviour causes misery in towns and communities across the country, often hitting the most vulnerable hardest.
A key aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces, so they can focus on tackling local issues, like addressing anti-social behaviour.
Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is already making a difference. For too long, people have not seen police patrolling their streets. We will have 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers in place by March this year, and our Summer Initiative and Winter of Action have seen police forces and local authorities in town centres, including Heywood and Middleton increase town centre patrols, accelerate enforcement, and make greater use of ASB powers.
We have also delivered on our manifesto pledge: every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for anti-social behaviour, who will work with communities to develop an action plan to tackle ASB. We are also strengthening the powers to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless ASB offenders.
Together with the police, we are sending a message: crime and anti-social behaviour will be punished.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department made an assessment of the potential impact of using the Gov.uk One Login to verify identity on people who (a) do not have photo ID and (b) are visually impaired.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Inclusion is at the heart of GOV.UK One Login. The service provides multiple ways for users to prove their identity, including a no photo ID route which involves answering security questions.
GDS regularly tests designs with disabled users, including visually impaired users, where tests are performed with assistive technology.Our accessibility statement is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/govuk-one-login-app-accessibility-statement.
We have a Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) assessment, which examines the impacts of the service on the different protected characteristics and establishes mitigations where necessary.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of interest rates on student loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree.
Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed. Outstanding debt, including interest built up, is cancelled after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower.
A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial literacy and basic life skills education in secondary schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to strengthening pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship following publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review final report in November 2025. The department will engage with sector experts and young people in how best to reflect this, and life skills content, in the updated curriculum. There will be public consultation on updated curriculum programmes of study in 2026, seeking views on the content before they are finalised.
Oak National Academy, an independent arm’s length body, provides high quality curriculum materials to support financial literacy.
The government is determined that every child has access to enriching activities that develop their essential skills. We have set out an enrichment offer schools and colleges should aim to provide for all children, including civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life skills.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to include financial literacy and life skills education as a mandatory and assessed part of the secondary school curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to strengthening pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in mathematics and citizenship following publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review final report in November 2025. The department will engage with sector experts and young people in how best to reflect this, and life skills content, in the updated curriculum. There will be public consultation on updated curriculum programmes of study in 2026, seeking views on the content before they are finalised.
Oak National Academy, an independent arm’s length body, provides high quality curriculum materials to support financial literacy.
The government is determined that every child has access to enriching activities that develop their essential skills. We have set out an enrichment offer schools and colleges should aim to provide for all children, including civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life skills.